Wagner Farm Community Garden: March 2015

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Welcome 2015 Gardeners!

The lottery has been spun! Those of you who secured a garden plot should have been notified by e-mail. The organizational meetings are on Thursday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, March 14 at 9:00 a.m. Attendance at one of the meetings is mandatory. *Returning community gardeners are still required to attend one of the meetings, as there are changes to the program and new people to meet. * If you have not already done so, please let me know which meeting you are attending.

Hello Gardeners!

My name is Alyssa Tadelman and I am so excited to have the opportunity to be the Community Garden Coordinator at Wagner Farm. I have been working at Wagner Farm for the past two years as a programmer, a farmhouse docent, at the front desk, and as the assistant manager of the farmer’s market.

I love gardening!!! I enjoy gardening in the backyard of my Glenview home with my two daughters, Julia and Bonnie. Each winter, I can’t wait to order my seeds and start planning my garden for spring. Another hobby of mine is starting my vegetable plants from seed. I start many plants indoors under grow lights. I am always trying new varieties and techniques for growing them. I can’t wait garden and swap gardening ideas with all of you!

In addition to being a gardener, I am a reading teacher at South School in Glencoe. At my school, I secured a grant to create a native plant garden with students over a two-year period. I researched local native plants to learn where and how to plant the garden so that our natives would thrive. Then I planned and coordinated a planting and education day with one hundred-fifty first grade students and their teachers in the garden. Currently, I take students on educational tours of the garden and assist teachers with using the garden as an outdoor learning space. I am the volunteer steward of the garden and sponsor of the South School native plant club.

I look forward to meeting all of you! See you at one of our organizational meetings.

Alyssa Tadelman

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What's This?

FieldWatch is a nonprofit organization that is intended to help pesticide applicators and specialty crop growers communicate more effectively. The site registers certified organic gardens and their beehives. This information is provided to crop dusting (pesticide) applicators to let them know the location of organic gardens. They use this information to plan their routes accordingly. Our sign alerts them to keep pesticides away! The Wagner Farm Community Garden and our Wagner beehives are registered as organic sites through FieldWatch.

Q&A

Q: Are cocoa shells allowed as mulch in the community garden?

A: YES! Cocoa shell mulch (also called cocoa bean mulch) is great for gardens. These shells have a sweet smell and look very neat in your garden bed. When cocoa beans are roasted, their shells separate. Roasting the beans sterilizes the shells. Therefore, the shells are weed free and organic. If you are interested in using them in your plot, ask for them at your favorite garden center.

Negatives-When cocoa mulch gets too wet and does not have time to dry between waterings or rainfalls, it can attract pests. Also, in hot, humid weather, the cocoa shells can develop a harmless mold. You can use a mixture of 25% water and 75% vinegar as a spray to get rid of the mold.

*CAUTION- Do not use cocoa bean mulch at home if you have dogs. This sweet mulch can be toxic to dogs if eaten.

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

1. Planting too soon-The weather forecast shows nighttime temperatures below 50º through next weekend. You are taking a risk if you plant your warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, zucchini, etc.

2. Not hardening off your plants-Plants that have been grown in your house or in a greenhouse need to be “hardened off”. This means they need to gradually get use to the outdoor temperature, sun, and wind before being planted outside. Ask if your plants have been hardened off at your favorite garden store. Check online to see how to harden off your plants.

3. Improper Spacing-Your seedlings look so small and cute right now, but they will be huge! Read plant tags and seed packages for recommendations on plant spacing. Proper spacing will ensure better air circulation which leads to healthier plants and better production. Planting things too close together will make your plants more susceptible to disease. It will also make it difficult to harvest your veggies.

4. Not staking plants-It is important to stake your plants. This will promote proper air circulation and will help prevent disease. Staking is especially important because we have overhead sprinklers.

5. Not weeding-Weeds compete with your veggies for valuable nutrients and space. Some weeds even send out growth inhibitors that stunt the growth of your plants. You will get a weed warning in the Community Garden if you decide not to weed.